G'day from Down Under

We started our adventure to Australia and New Zealand with a conference/international board meeting held just outside of Melbourne, Australia and Marty's responsibility with Pioneers Missions Movement. Marty is Chairman of the US Board for Pioneers which means he is on the International Board (Treasurer). I was invited to go along. Yea! The days were long and exciting with reports of what is going on all over the world by missionary Area Leaders and others in leadership. Their passion is contagious. Pioneers is truly a movement that celebrates and spreads leadership and ideas throughout the world. Some of the highlights:


Getting together with longtime friends, Steve & Arlene Richardson (US Director) and celebrating at their daughter, Joy's, engagement party to an Aussie.


Connecting with other friends from Pioneers and putting names to faces with missionaries I've corresponded with over the years.


Meeting new friends working in far reaches of the world.


On the last day, when Marty had his board meeting, I went with a few others to an animal sanctuary ... Australia has a lot of "weird" animals! Even in the forest around our conference center, kangaroos roam like the US has deer. A little strange to encounter them early in the morning! And Aussies think deer and elk are exotic. I guess it's just what you're used to.

Marty had a lot of business to do, I was just having fun with all the missionaries. Peggy Fletcher who with her late husband, Ted, founded Pioneers and is Arlene's mother. Peggy is smart, gracious and awesome to be around. Uncle Jack is a pillar of Pioneers and still going strong in his 80's. And I will never forget JFK Mensah's fervor as he spoke about his desire for his people in North Africa to be reached for Christ and said as much as a report to us as his plea to God, "give me Africa or I will die."

It was well worth the very long flight to Australia and we looked forward to exploring the south island of New Zealand.

Just call me "Clark"

It's that time of year ... the annual watching of our favorite Christmas movie - Christmas Vacation (no, not It's a Wonderful Life - Marty can't stand to see Jimmy Stewart hit his own uncle.) It was a wonderful, cold and rainy Sunday, so after church we decided to put up the Christmas tree early and nothin' says Christmas like Chevy Chase aka Clark Griswold singing, Joy to the World, getting the perfect tree, untangling knots of Christmas lights, and generally trying to make a "good old-fashioned Christmas" for his family.

Don't try to follow the whole movie literally, but think of the general themes. Family, flawed but together. The parents that are thrilled with Clark no matter what. A lot of grace ... and grace with Aunt Bethany. More about the traditions instead of the gifts. A LOT of silliness. And no hitting.

That's me.

I envision and work for the perfect family gathering cemented by food. The more the merrier and I want it to be a perfect memory for each and every one. It's never perfect. My absolute favorite part of the movie is when Clark finally gets all the Christmas lights to light up. I choke up every time. He is so earnest.

I used to sing in a silly voice for Brian and Scott - they rolled their eyes - perfect reaction. I sing in that same silly voice for Abby and Grant. At four, Abby has started to roll her eyes. At 1 1/2, Grant still laughes (at least I don't scare him).

Marty and I raised our kids on The Simpsons & Christimas Vacation and with no apologies ... they turned out just fine. Quick aside lest someone rants theological on me - those that know us know that movies and sitcoms were not our only resource for raising kids or living life - 'nuff said.

So as Marty and I put up the tree this year ... the weekend after Thanksgiving ... thankful for the times our family can get together. We are all flawed, not always comforming to the Hallmark version of when and how everyone gets together. And we look forward to this whole Season.

Joy to the World!

Catching Up

Where does the time go? Since Fusion and Leadnow, it seems that life has moved at the speed of light. Good things, but busy.

We had our Missions Festival at Bent Tree with the theme "Open" (open your heart, open your mind, open window to the world) was full of new ideas and old friends. Michael and Florence Kyomya with Hesed Ministries in Uganda flew in from Jinja and it was good to catch up with them as well as their daughter, Eve, and son-in-law, Clifton who also work in the ministry.


Here we are at an all-church picnic dinner and prayer time.

I also got to catch up with Tim Amstuz from World Relief Cambodia. I went to Cambodia and Thailand in 2004 with a small group and had the privilege to connect with Tim and his family as well as Joke Van Opstal and their team who do a great work with many volunteers starting at the local church level.

The week included time with Sashi and Jihtu - leaders representing our "adopted people group," the Marathas of India, Peter and our partnership of leadership training in Russia, Celestin & Bernadette Musekura with ALARM in Africa, Amazon Outreach in Brazil. Passion is contagious!

The last two weeks, Marty and I have been in Australia and New Zealand. (Those trip stories/pics will follow.) We left October 31st ... Halloween. We were sorry to miss our usual tradition of passing out candy at Brian and Julie's as they trick-or-treated together in their kid-filled, family-friendly neighborhood.


But before we left, we stopped at Abby's pre-school to see "the parade of costumes" and get our picture taken with Ariel and Monkey. (alias Abby & Grant)

Next stop ... Australia and New Zealand.